Do Join Us for the run for Cancer Kids.
Registration Page :
https://www.townscript.com/e/roadrunners
Donations will go to KIDWAI cancer institute and from KAAA :
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3c0U623dNiwX09oTndSWlBGOTA/view?usp=sharing
Category: Social Issues
I had written this article originally for The Alternative. Reblogging it here.
For all those who are not aware there was the demolition of EWS quarters of around 1000 families at Ejipura just opposite the National Games Village, Kormangala in Bangalore last week. This demolition has happened for building up another mall by the builders of Garuda Mall. Even the Garuda Mall at MG Road is not legally built. The land was given for a multilevel car parking but the mall has come up instead of the parking. The residents of Ejipura whose houses have been demolished are out in the open in the cold without water, power, food and shelter.
“My 8 months old child is suffering from jaundice and fever. My husband is not there and I have lost my job. “says one on the residents of Ejipura whose house has been demolished. In spite of all these challenges she has been helping the volunteers in distributing food and clothes to the right people.
Pic Courtesy: Mayank Rungta
Can we who live in our comfortable houses with food and snuggled into warm blankets be so strong? I am really amazed by these people who are greeting us with a smile even in the difficult times when they have lost their shelter. They have not forgotten to care for their neighbors checking if they received the food and blankets. Apart from that they are also taking care of their pets, mostly dogs and cats.
They are out in the open, on the footpaths on both sides of the road with their minimal belongings with nowhere to go. What was their crime that the houses of 1000 families have been demolished? Even a criminal has a roof over his head in the jail. The toilets have been destroyed. The first day itself water supply and power supply was cut off. And in just 2-3 days the ground where once these people used to live has been grounded and the area has been fenced. I really should appreciate BBMP for the efficient work they have been doing in demolishing the houses. They have carried out this eviction very strategically in phases, first the houses were demolished, then people were pressurized to vacate the place, then they started leveling the ground without looking at what’s on the ground and this debris was piled on all the sides to block various entrance so that supply of food, water and other essentials arranged by volunteers can be ruptured and finally fencing the whole area with very high tin sheets. If they channelize this efficiency towards the grappling problems of our city, I am sure Bangalore would be a much better and a cleaner place in no time.
With no access to power supply, water supply, toilets, food and shelter the government has left them out in the open to suffer and not even taking the responsibility of providing them an alternative shelter. To add to it yesterday they demolished more houses in the area. It is only because of the continuous efforts of few people and volunteers that these victims are able to get food, water and blankets regularly. Even we volunteers faced resistance by the police in distributing food and blankets. The vehicles carrying food was not allowed to enter the area. We had to walk with the food cans to find people among the rubbles in the dark and distribute food to them. It is really unbelievable how much callousness exist around us.
My emotions have been overwhelming to put everything in words. I feel angry. I feel helpless not able to fight for them. I am sure after all this my conscience will never ever allow me to step into the mall which would be standing here in next few months or years or rather any mall. How many malls do Bangaloreans need? I and my husband rarely visit a mall and our life goes on smoothly.
I, along with other volunteers, have been visiting the site for the last one week. I can’t really explain the plight of the people in words; how people have been sitting or sleeping in the cold. I would request that we all to go to the site and see for ourselves what it feels like when you lose your home. At least, the residents would feel that they are not alone. We know how much it matters when someone is there with you just to talk to you in the difficult times. Many of the residents have lost their jobs and it would be good if we can help them find jobs. They are mostly home maids, driver, cook etc.
Appealing all to come out and help the residents of Ejipura in any way – helping them fight for their ‘Right to Shelter’ or help in spreading the awareness or help with the logistics or finding them a home or a job.
You can follow the updates on Ejipura and volunteer for relief work through the Relief for EWS Ejipura Demolition Victims Facebook page or the hashtag #EWSEjipura on Twitter.
Cloth Donation is very common in social work. Most of us want to give our old cloth and for a social cause they are more than happy to donate. Thanks everyone who has such a like mind. But some of our volunteers in Pankhudi, gave more meaning to cloth donation when they came up with the idea of “absolute need”.
Pankhudi volunteers decided to roam around in the whole city(You just need to see your place :P). Finally they got those who are in “absolute need” and some happy faces …
Arrangement of cloths before donation. Mind it, most of it were new with minor fault.
After setting up all the cloths and boxes, guys were ON.
Downloading the material at sight
And here goes the donation...
And more.
HAPPY DONATION !! If anyone of you have such kind of stocks at home, do drop a comment here. We do “cloth donation” with “absolute need”.
Puttenahalli Lake – A beautiful lake now crowded with multi-floored building from almost 4 sides. Usha, one of the great nature lovers is fighting high to save the lake.. and I personally believe she will, if we are going to help us as well. Some of the pictures here from lake and a mini-forest nearby.
Common Coot and the love
Shikra - Female. People have spotted it commonly there
Juv. Bronzed Winged Jacana
Through this blog, I will request more people to visit this lake and try to put a sense of importance of nature in people around.
Spotted Billed Ducks
Grebe Family
Great tit
Brahminy Kite - At flight
Asian Paradise Flycatcher
Pale billed Flowerpecker
Magpie Robin
Small Minivet
Some small creatures and butterflies…
Glassy Tiger
Palmfly
Luna Moth
The Baronet
Common Four-ring
Bamboo Treebrown
Common Castor
Common Rose
Jewel Bug
My attention to write is clear. I just want to tell, there is an amazing life existing because of a small lake which people like us want to finish. So, please have little concern and have a visit of lake. Important links: More picture sets:
http://www.facebook.com/#!/media/set/?set=a.10150412527131281.408683.569911280&type=1 (Vaibhav and Deepu)
http://www.facebook.com/#!/media/set/?set=a.10150325638368878.355992.587058877&type=1 (Deepa)
http://www.facebook.com/#!/media/set/?set=a.206795052721777.47299.100001738515620&type=1 (Sushil)
http://puttenahallilake.blogspot.com/2010/07/puttenahalli-lake-is-ready-and-waiting.html – By Usha.
Posting so much about Bangalore, my hands never got tired, I thought to put some more recent pictures I have taken but then I thought to write something good which Bangalore chaps are doing. Here it goes:
Most of us know about Orissa Flood and Sikkim Earthquake, if you not, then you are software engineer like me who hardly go near TV. Yes, these disasters happened and happened recently. What a disaster cost can’t be explained in figure, though government try to give some figure, we should simple put one more zero at the end of it.
Flood - the level of water
Flood-Gopa Region
There are many more pictures but I hate sad pictures. So, pardon me here.
A NGO “Pankhudi Foundation” which operated in Bangalore and I am a proud member of it, started a campaign Nation-wide to get relief for Sikkim/Orissa victims. Lot of my Orissa friends are working at the spot and they are continuously providing me pictures/images and more important stats.
If you are interested in taking part, please contact any of these chaps at your place/location. If your home, don’t fall down in any of this, you can call last 2 no’s.
Where I can read more: http://pankhudifoundation.org/pankhudisahayata.shtml
| City | Name | Contact | |
| Bangalore | Mr. Mohan Rajendra/ Ms. Prathima Kharvi |
+91 90357 75116 / +91 87221 44753 |
sahayata@pankhudifoundation.org |
| Delhi | Ms. Chhavi Negi/ Ms. Richa Singh |
+91 99582 39780/ +91 88609 42604 |
sahayata@pankhudifoundation.org |
| Hyderabad | Mr. Murthy Penugonda/ Ms. Jyoti Singh |
+91 81218 76553/ +91 93947 34328 |
sahayata@pankhudifoundation.org |
| Mumbai | Ms. Mukta Matta/ Mr. Akram Shaik |
+91 98675 11042 / +91 97735 63351 |
sahayata@pankhudifoundation.org |
| Pune | Ms. Srushti Dhok/ Mr. Sangamesh Kallur |
+91 94225 41951/ +91 97625 22467 |
sahayata@pankhudifoundation.org |
| Other locations | Mr. Vaibhav Choudhari/ Mr. Satya Narayan Mohanty |
+91 98867 96985 +91 99080 27775 |
sahayata@pankhudifoundation.org |
How can you contribute?
- Medicines, baby food, sanitary napkins and other immediate materials required.
- Wheat, Rice, Pulses (Dal), Chiwra, Buiscuits, dry and packed eatables.
- Clothes, bed sheets, blankets, Tarpaulin (Large plastic sheets), Mosquito nets.
- Cooking utensils, ropes, feeding bottles, water purifying tablets.
Monetary Contributions(better you give me a call: +91-9886796985):
- All Monetary Contributions will be utilized towards purchasing the above material in bulk and for transporting it to the relief camps
- By CHEQUE/DRAFT drawn in favor of “GOONJ” or “MIGHTY CLUB” (No cash accepted). Please write your name, postal address, phone no, email id, and PAN no behind the cheque/draft for receipt purpose.
- For online transfer, please get in touch with Sahayata representaives in your city.
- All donations will be eligible for Tax Benefits under 80G and FCRA.
- Your contribution will reach the needy through GOONJ or Mighty Club.
Taking material to Orissa or Sikkim is costly and difficult therefore GOONJ will be using the money we raise to buy materials from nearby cities
The LAST DATE for sending in your contributions is 20th OCTOBER 2011 .
Empowered by the unity and youth of the country, Anna Hazare was never ready to get convinced and break his fast, with nothing less than a victory. This historical win of republic system has been celebrated hugely whole day, all over the country.
The fight against corruption does not end here, rather its just a warm beginning.
Few captures from Freedom park, Bangalore, where many were fasting throughout, as with Anna Hazare.
Ready for a new fight tomorrow
Blowing sound should reach all India and Indian
dancing and full with celebration mood
So much strength in the slogan together....Jai Hind. National Anthem is been sang together by the whole mass
Candle march in the night after Anna announced breaking of his fast.
Anna Hazare is in the heart of every Indian and even in the people living abroad now. As the time passing, Anna is on his strong will, with firm decision, maintaining the belief and respect in the mind of every supporters that, “hum honge kamiyab”.
Today, being the eight day of this movement, every day, thousands of Bangalorians gather in the freedom park and as a regular routine event, out on a candle march on the both side of the road, in front of Freedom park. This sends a clear message to the government of this country that we are united and not tired at all. We will not go back home until we make an arrangement to send all the corrupt people behind bars and clean the dirt from our nation.
Symbolizing, unity is the power.
Thousands of people with candle lighted in hand to protest against corruption.
All loud voice together, “Bharat mata ki…..jai”
No violence, not even disturbing the traffic, number of people without any gap on both sides of the road.
Full with Indian-ism.
On Independence Day, I found that almost every auto had a Tiranga flying:
But surely, pride in one’s country should not just be a matter of flying a flag for one day. If, after flying the flag, I spit (and urinate and defacate) on the roads, cheat my customers, want (and pay) bribes, try to get ahead at the cost of my fellow-citizens, and am rude to people…am I really showing my pride for my country, or my contempt for it? Dhould my love for my country not show itself in a constant attempt to keep it clean, observe its laws, and respect its citizens?
Here’s the decoration at the Bangalore Club.
In this Club, they won’t let men (this restriction is only for men..as illogical as can be!) into the main dining hall without shoes and a shirt or a tee shirt with a collar (no sandals or “sports shoes”!)…and does not allow men into the next-door restaurant if their “sports shoes” are not made of leather. Which century are they living in?
When we take pride in enforcing such idiotic laws…are we proud of being Indian?
India - Nature, Travel And Birding 